


this secret between us

by isloremipsumafterall



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Live Action TV)
Genre: F/F, FemTrope Bingo, Femslash February, Secret Relationship, of a sort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-10
Updated: 2017-02-10
Packaged: 2018-09-23 08:20:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9647840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isloremipsumafterall/pseuds/isloremipsumafterall
Summary: Rei isn't dating Minako. If only she could convince everyone of that.





	

The song was stuck in her head and as much as Rei would have liked to blame that on Usagi, this time it was Minako herself who had caused it.

 

She’d never expected to meet the singer, let alone discover that she was the Princess. She found her thoughts always going back to that and trying to compile things she knew about Minako but unfortunately one of those things was the song.

 

It wasn’t even that bad like she kept stubbornly telling the others it was, but it just played in her head almost non-stop these days.

 

_C’est la vie…._

 

Rei made a face, annoyed she’d let it get to her, her fingers tapped against her broom as she swept the temple gates. The song cycled through her mind yet again but this time Rei froze at the lyrics.

 

_Sailor V._

 

Minako’s original disguise, it was right there in her lyrics and no one had even realized. It was a good thing she was alone because Rei felt like she was in shock, staring at nothing, in disbelief that Minako had done it.

 

On the other hand however she remembered Minako’s smirk when she showed up with canned dog food or when she tricked Nephrite with a case full of false crowns. It seemed exactly the sort of thing Minako would do based on all she knew but what was she thinking? Rei sighed, she could either let the whole thing go or confront Minako about it but either way this was going to bother her.

 

She was still thinking about it when she met up with the others at Crown, her attention fading in and out of the conversation.

 

Ami must have noticed because she tilted her head and shot Rei a confused look.

 

Rei shrugged, trying to wave it off, but Makoto and Usagi caught the look and directed their attention to her as well.

 

“Rei-chan?” Usagi stood up and rested her hands on the table, leaning on them and into Rei’s space. “You seem deep in thought.” Usagi pressed her lips together for only a second before she grinned widely, “Is Rei-chan thinking of someone special?”

 

Rei slid her chair back, about to refute the claim, when Makoto chimed in. “Ah, Rei-chan’s blushing!”

 

She spluttered, words dying on her lips. She couldn’t believe this was happening.

 

“Who were you thinking about Rei-chan?” Ami asked, still seated but looking up at Rei curiously.

 

She was so taken aback by the whole conversation that Rei just blurted out, “Aino Minako.”

 

“Eh?!” All three of them chimed.

 

She blinked and then scrunched her face in annoyance, “I didn’t mean it like that…” She tried to explain but they were all exchanging glances that she didn’t at all like.

 

“Rei-chan didn’t you say you met Aino Minako the other day…” Ami said and Rei immediately regretted telling her about the dog incident.

 

“Meeting up?” Makoto jumped on that, a grin forming on her face, “Secretly meeting?”

 

“Rei-chan!” Usagi cried, “How could you meet her without me.”

 

Makoto put a hand on Usagi’s shoulder, “It’s a secret meet up. Like lovers.” Makoto sighed fancifully.

 

“Rei-chan is lovers with Minako?!” Usagi looked back and forth between Rei and Makoto as though she was trying to reconcile the news. Her eyes lit up after a second and she once again dove across the table to grab Rei’s hand, “Can you get us tickets to her concert then?”

 

Makoto clamoured in with her agreement and when Rei glanced down even Ami was nodding along. She pulled her hand from Usagi’s grasp and crossed her arms. “There is nothing going on.” She said but it sounded false even to her.

 

Usagi pouted and straightened herself up.

 

“Then why were you thinking about her?” Makoto asked, “We all know Rei-chan doesn’t like music.” She continued to tease.

 

Rei blew a strand of hair out of her eyes, “I have to go.” She grabbed her bag and started towards the stairs. Behind her she could hear Ami and Makoto giggling.

 

“Why wouldn’t Rei-chan tell us she was dating Aino Minako?!” Usagi cried out at the same time Rei opened the door.

 

If she hadn’t been so flustered she may have noticed the girls in the hallway staring at her, or even Motoki looking at her in confusion as she reached the entrance, instead she barrelled through it and back to her the safety and silence of her shrine.

 

~~

 

Makoto, Ami, and Usagi had been calling her all morning but unless it was Luna and a monster Rei refused to pick up and hear more of their teasing. She was glad she didn’t have to go to school that day and instead had spent that morning praying by the fire before she had to give that up when she couldn’t concentrate fully.

 

The shrine was far too noisy, an influx of people had come in, much more than what they usually got and Rei stepped outside to greet people only to be met with whispers and pointing. She frowned in confusion before taking a breath to calm herself. Perhaps these were just tourist who had never met a shrine maiden before.

 

That thought was banished when she saw a couple of girls from her school also there, staring at her. Something was very clearly going on. Rei wandered through the shrine, trying to pick up the conversations with no luck and it was beginning to frustrate her. She was almost ready to kick everyone out of the shrine if they didn’t stop.

 

There was a light tugging at her skirt and Rei glanced down to see Artemis. Her mouth pressed into a line, that could only mean trouble. As discreetly as she could she picked up Artemis and followed his directions into the woods, coming across Minako resting against a tree.

 

“What is it?” She asked, glancing around the clearing for any monsters.

 

Minako smiled, like she knew something Rei didn’t which most of the time she did. “There’s no enemy.” Minako told her and Rei blinked in surprise. “Just this.” She handed Rei a newspaper much to Rei’s confusion.

 

She set Artemis down to take the paper and nearly dropped it when she unfolded it to read the headlines.

 

_Star Aino Minako has found secret lover: a shrine maiden._

 

The picture of Rei on the front was just her sweeping the steps of the shrine and was juxtaposed next to a picture of Minako singing on stage. She caught glimpses of the article, girls hearing Rei was dating Minako from an anonymous source, and groaned.

 

“Usagi.” She muttered, wondering how she could fix this now. When she looked up at Minako the other girl was still grinning.

 

“You should have told me we were dating.” Minako teased, looking far too pleased with this development.

 

“You should have told people we weren’t.” Rei shot back.

 

Minako shrugged, “I could try to deny it but then people would believe it more. It’s best to let these things die down.” It was hard to see Minako’s eyes because of the shadow from the hat she wore but Rei could have sworn they were crinkled at the edges in amusement.

 

It occurred to her that she hadn’t seen that before on Minako, or at least not more than a flash of it. Not smug amusement but genuine. She wondered how often Minako got to have it with the burden of being the Princess on her.

 

She could tell Minako was waiting on her to reply and crossed her arms, “How long will this take to die down?”

 

“Hard to tell,” Minako said, “Maybe never.” She was smirking again, “I feel like I should take you out on a date.

 

Rei rolled her eyes, “I’m busy.”

 

“I’d be a good date.” Minako replied.

 

“I don’t doubt that.” Rei muttered to herself but Minako must have heard it because her eyes lit up and she took a step closer.

 

“So you think I am?” Minako took her cowboy hat off her head and placed it on Rei’s, “A token of my affection.”

 

Rei pushed the cowboy hat up but not completely off, “I don’t need it.”

 

“It’s still yours.” Minako put her hand on Rei’s shoulder and very solemnly said, “As a good girlfriend I insist.”

 

Before Rei could combat that Minako whirled, picking up Artemis, and walking out of the woods with a wave of her hand.

 

Rei sighed and trudged back to the Shrine, intending on spending the day inside. She’d forgotten the hat however so when she got back she was met with high pitched yells and people flashing pictures, it occurred to her later that might have been another joke from Minako.

 

~~

 

It did quiet down for a long time when Minako was spotted was at her studios with a man from another popular band. Rei’s shrine cleared out and all the teasing from Usagi, Ami, and Makoto went to a minimum. Though now it was just down to Usagi and Makoto and they had bigger things to worry about with Ami being captured.

 

Minako however didn’t seem to forget it at all. She winked at Rei when they met up, not the sort of one she’d do in the midst of battle when the two of them seemed to share and idea, but a teasing one meant to fluster Rei that worked every time.

 

The cowboy hat Minako had given her lay in Rei’s room, gathering dust, a reminder of the rumour running around as well.

 

She would have continued to leave it there except that Minako had tricked her into something again: singing publicly. She was right though, Rei was missing something and it hurt that Minako could see that but Rei had missed it in herself.

 

With a sigh she took the hat off the shelf she’d laid it on and stared at it like it could give her the answers she sought. She’d have to prepare for singing publicly, she could go to the Crown and hope it was empty.

 

Now that she had a plan in mind she dropped the hat back on the shelf but stopped before leaving the room, after a moment’s hesitation she snapped a picture of the hat with her phone. Maybe she could use it as part of her ensemble to dress up for her singing debut.

 

She made a face even at the thought of it but had no time to think of that now given that she was supposed to be singing that afternoon.

 

~~

 

Minako kept staring at the hat, Rei could clearly see that.

 

“I unlocked my powers.” She stated, though that was obvious given the fight they had just been involved in.

 

Minako met her eyes, serious for moment and every bit the leader that Rei had hoped she could be. She nodded sharply but then grinned and was back to staring at the hat, “Guess it made a good gift after all.”

 

“Eh?” Rei was taken aback and then she noticed that there was a small crowd gathering around them. She could hear whispers already and knew this would back fire. In a loud enough voice she stated, “We are not dating.”

 

“Maybe not yet.” Minako winked at her.

 

“Not ever.” Rei rolled her eyes, she was ready to storm out when Minako grabbed her shoulder.

 

“Good job.” Minako said quietly so only they could hear it.

 

Rei flushed at the sudden praise and it took her moment to get her bearings again and jerk her shoulder back when she noticed the whispers once more. With a nod at Minako she walked out, slipping out her phone to transform back into her regular clothes and meeting Usagi at the doorway.

 

“Rei-chan!! Was that you and Minako?!” Usagi gasped and Rei groaned, pushing her along with her and not answering any of Usagi’s questions.

 

~~

 

“Remember when everyone thought we were dating?” Minako’s voice surprised her, Rei had been focusing on watching Makoto trying to teach Usagi how to cook.

 

They were all gathered in Usagi’s kitchen, only her and Minako sat at the table while Ami and Makoto exchanged worried glances as Usagi’s cooking got worse.

 

Now they there wasn’t the threat of monsters looming over them anymore and their powers were gone they had normal days like this, where they could just enjoy each other’s company and be glad they had all lived through it.

 

Rei was especially glad that Minako had lived through it and come back to them. She didn’t want to relive the grief of losing her over again.

 

In answer to Minako’s question however she sighed and nodded. The whole assumption they’d been dating had been wiped from everyone’s minds when things got rewritten but everyone in this room could still remember.

 

Minako glanced over at her, with that small secretive smile but instead of annoying Rei like it used to she returned it with ease.

 

“You owe me a hat.” Minako teased and nudged Rei with her shoulder.

 

“Then I’m owed a date.” Rei said back, crossing her arms stubbornly.

 

“Next Saturday then.” Minako grinned and Rei realized she’d just walked into a trap laid by Minako again. Her shoulders relaxed though and she turned her head to hide her own wide grin. Minako must have been able to tell because when Rei turned back to meet her eyes Minako had leaned in closer till their foreheads were nearly touching and looked delighted by the turn of events.

 

Somewhere in the middle their hands met, just lightly brushing against each other and Rei linked her pinky finger with Minako’s, taking the first step to meet her so to speak.

 

“Minako-chan and Rei-chan are going on a date?!” Usagi interrupted them. Her, Makoto, and Ami were watching them and Minako and Rei exchanged a glance and began to laugh.

 

This time Rei didn’t correct them, this time she didn’t think they were wrong.


End file.
